Convergence of Destiny
by The Coven
Summary: 7 Squinoa, Quifer, Selvine. Accused of murder and atrocities beyond their understanding, six mercenaries who once saved the world now find themselves running from it. Old friends turn into new enemies, and relationships bloom in the heat of the pursuit.
1. Prologue

Welcome to our world! This fic is a three-way collaboration between Refugee (**A Knight of Spira**, **Orphans of Time**), Pierson (**Diamond Dust**, **Darkness Falls**), and Rinoa Heartilly (**Bitter Dawn**, **Unintentional**).

There is a saying that goes; 'too many cooks spoil the broth'. We will disprove it. We hope you will be there when we do. ^_^

**_____________________________________________________________________**

**Convergence of Destiny **

**Prologue **

They stood there, in a line, pointing their weaponry at the man who had destroyed their lives, and his agent. 

He stared back, smirking. "Did you seriously think I wouldn't be prepared for this?" he said acidly. 

Squall just looked at the man, and wondered how it had come to this. They had been happy; they had been praised and honoured for their deeds. After Ultimecia was killed, it had been supposed to be over, no more evil, no more pain and suffering, everything should have been fine. 

Instead here they were, standing here, battered and bruised, but not broken. Staring down the men who had branded them criminals and had them hunted down by their own people. This man. 

Squall glanced across at the others. Rinoa didn't return the glance, but just looked straight ahead at their targets. Selphie and Irvine stood side-by-side, guns aimed at the figure before them. Zell was furious beyond words, and would have gladly jumped the man before them had it not been for Rinoa whispering into his ear. Quistis stood behind the others, still on some unconscious level of her mind refusing to believe what was happening. She took one step forward. 

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, desperation in her voice. 

The man smiled and shook his head. "I wouldn't expect the likes of you to understand." 

Squall stayed silent, and just looked at the man. Even in a world of plenty there are always some who want more than their fair share. Was _that_ it? Was all of this, the entire last year, a grab for glory? He hoped it was. It would have made it all much simpler. Squall hated complicated reasoning. This was the man who had destroyed his live, killed his friends, and sentenced them to a life on the run, never stopping, never knowing rest. For that he has to pay, regardless of what reason he gave. 

"Try us,' Zell said dangerously. 

The man smiled at him, the way a man might at a little boy who has said something amusing and useless. "Does it matter?" he asked rhetorically. 

"It matters to_ me._" He replied, flexing his fists. 

Rinoa stared at the man who had turned her into an animal. Hyne how she wanted to kill him now. After twelve months of running and hiding she was tired, and her supply of patience, understanding, and willingness to forgive had finally hit rock bottom. She stared at the man, and then she looked across at the _other _man, who had helped him do it. 

"And you believe him?" she asked softly. 

"He gave me everything I ever needed," he replied, as if that explained everything. 

"I trusted you, Quistis trusted you, _we_ trusted you!" she shouted at him. 

"More fool you," he said, and winked. 

Squall's eyes widened, and he took one step forward. Instantly guards surrounding them clicked off their safeties. Squall growled and stood down. 

"You'll die for this," he said, glaring at the man. 

The man just smiled back. "We all die, but my destiny is to rule first," he said, eyes staring at something only he could see. 

"We'll stop you!" Selphie shouted. 

The man laughed. "With what? How? Six SeeDs can't fight an army." 

"We'll find a way," she through gritted teeth. 

Irvine looked across at Selphie, the determination on her face, the unwillingness to back down. Hyne how he loved this woman. If anything, if just one faint scrap of hope could be drawn from this nightmare, it was that. If this was it, and they died in a hail of bullets fired from their old friend's weapons, then at least he would die with that knowledge. 

"No, you won't," the man said, and turned to walk from the chamber. 

"Wait," Quistis said. The man turned back to look at her. "Don't do this," she asked. The man didn't reply. He just walked out of the room, leaving them with the guards and the traitor.

Zell glared daggers at the guards stationed around the chamber. He had fought with them, laughed with them, and now they would kill him. He looked straight at their leader. 

"Put down your weapons, it's _us_. Let us explain," he asked the woman. 

"Nothing needs explaining Zell," Xu replied, face devoid of any emotion anymore. 

Quistis looked ahead, but her attention was not fixed on the others, but on the person who stood between the exit and them. She just stared at the man, as if by staring she could turn back the clock and make everything right again. She thought about the events that had brought them here, and the one thing that had drove them from their home, made them outcasts from society, made their comrades hunt them down mercilessly, made even their own _family _turn against them, had separated them from the world. 

She thought back, to the first day, the beginning of all this, this bad dream from which they had tried to awaken from, but had persisted in keeping them from doing. But the past cannot be changed, and not even Hyne herself could alter what had already come to pass. 

One day that had broken their lives and shattered their dreams, one year that had rebuilt their resolve and gave them hope.

Sometimes, in retrospect, even the smallest events can take on new meanings...


	2. Return To Balamb

Ah, the sweet smell of cooperation in the air. Love it. 

**_____________________________________________________________________**

**Convergence of Destiny **

**Chapter 1: Return To Balamb **

_You know, life is funny sometimes. It's been some time since the end of Time Compression and I'm not sure I really want to do this. Ultimecia. That name rings in my head like a hammer. I've escaped from her control, but not the scars she left. I'm just now starting to figure out how deep the wounds run. I've done some horrible things. Launched missiles at Trabia, and killed I don't know how many. Tortured Squall. And many other things I don't care to remember at the moment. _

_Torturing Squall was something I always thought would be enjoyable. It wasn't Seeing him writhing in pain from the electric shocks running through his body wasn't like I thought it would be. Squall's always been my rival. He was the closest to me in using a gun blade and we always trained together. In the end, even Rinoa was his. That didn't mean I wanted to see him like that. On some level, I always enjoyed his presence. He was always there, pushing me. Forcing me to become better at whatever we competed in. _

_In the end, he surpassed me in everything. It was strange. He was always a cold sort. Stiff, uncaring. The time we fought in Edea's parade through Galbadia, he defeated me for the first time ever. It wasn't because of some newfound skill or fancy new sword style. No, I knew the answer as soon as I saw the wild-eyed concern on Rinoa's face as he fell before Edea's ice barrage. Not even Squall realized it at the time. He was always stupid that way. He had found something to care about other than himself. At that moment, I realized Rinoa was lost to me forever. My rival had taken even that. _

_It's not like any of this matters. I don't even know why I'm writing it. I'm being paid to do a job, and that's it. It's not for freelance mercenaries to question why. Work comes sporadically enough my way as it is. Still, I wish I could do anything but this. Now I have to return to Garden, become a SeeD, and then do what I'm being paid for. If I do, I'm set for life. No more grubby jobs. I can retire out in the country somewhere, and live out the rest of the joke called my life in peace. _

_As I turn my gaze from the ocean, I can see Balamb Garden in the distance. It was once my home. A home I have to return to now. In preparation, I sent a letter to Cid explaining what had happened. That Ultimecia had dominated my mind, and forced me to do these things. He already knew, I should have guessed that. Matron must have told him. Cid's forgiveness I expected. He was the easy part. It was Squall and the others I expected trouble with. _

_I was surprised when Cid's return letter came with not just his, but ones from Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Quistis, even Irvine and Selphie. Rinoa's letter said that she was sorry, but it was impossible for us to continue like we once were, but hoped we could become friends. As if I didn't already know that. The rest were more surprising. They said they were looking forward to seeing me again, that they had something important to tell me about my childhood. My childhood. It's strange, but I don't remember anything about it, besides Matron. I know that she was important to me somehow, but the exact memories won't come. Their letters also carried something more. A promise of forgiveness. _

_Damn You Squall. Damn you Quistis. Damn you all! Why couldn't you just hate me? It would make what I have to do so much easier._

Seifer snapped the notebook shut, and in a fit of disgust, tossed his pen out into the waves. He briefly considered throwing the notebook too, but in the end decided against it. Writing the journal was the only way he could let anything out anymore. His experiences as being a Knight, and with Time Compression had changed him forever. 

Gone was the cocksure attitude about everything. It had been replaced with a haunted expression, and a newfound quietness. With a rueful chuckle, Seifer suddenly realized how much he had become like Squall. The past year had not been easy. Fujin and Raijin had settled in Timber, found jobs, and now lived normal lives. Seifer, despite the changes, found he couldn't do that. Being a mercenary was at least something he knew. He had been in training for it his whole life after all. Somehow, a regular job wasn't for him, and never would be. 

Despite the reluctance to carry out his current assignment, it was something he had to do. Once SeeD took a contract, they considered it an unbreakable trust. The job would be accomplished no matter what. Seifer still operated by that code, even if he wasn't affiliated with any organization. Mercenaries who quit a job after taking a deposit, ended up in two ways. Either dead, or never working again. He didn't like either option. 

Getting to his feet, Seifer sighed, and began the long walk home. A home he once loved, but now dreaded. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"At ease Mr. Almasy." Seifer relaxed his posture, and settled his gaze on the Headmaster. Cid set his glasses on the desk, and rubbed his eyes for a moment. It was amazing how easily the old Garden discipline came back, even if he never was very good at it. Cid glanced at him almost in amusement. "Nothing sarcastic to say Seifer? This isn't like you." 

Seifer sighed. He just honestly didn't have anything to say. He couldn't explain that his posture of humility was only a ruse. "Just waiting on you sir." 

Cid chuckled. "I must say I was surprised when your letter asking for reinstatement came to my desk." Seifer said nothing, but stared out the window. Cid continued. "You realize that according to Garden rules, you must qualify as a SeeD before the age of twenty." 

"I understand that." 

"Your birthday is in two weeks. That doesn't give you much time. You're going to have to pass the written exam again, and take a field test." 

Seifer merely nodded. "I can do it." 

Cid settled his hands on the desk, sighing. "Mr. Almasy, with you it's never been a matter of if you can, but rather if you're willing. Your attitude has always been what's held you back. Are you willing to change it?" 

"I am." 

The Headmaster met his eyes for a moment, trying to judge if Seifer actually meant by what he said. Apparently satisfied with what he saw, Cid smiled. "Perhaps you might make it this time Seifer. Quistis has already agreed to help you study for the written exam. You can start with her tomorrow. I'm afraid you're going to have to spend a lot of time together in the next couple weeks. Will that be a problem?"

"It won't be sir." Seifer cursed inwardly. Spending time alone with bossy little Quisty wasn't his idea of a great time. _Bossy little Quisty? Where did that come from? _

"Seifer, I'm afraid we also have another matter to discuss. How long has it been since you junctioned a GF?" 

Seifer glanced at the Headmaster quizzically. What did that have to do with anything? "I remember how to junction and use one. If that's what you're worried about." 

Cid turned his chair away, suddenly finding a picture on the wall very interesting. It was almost as if the Headmaster was afraid to look at him. "No. It has to do with something else we've discovered. Recently, we found out that Guardian Forces affect long-term memory. It's been rumored for a long time, but I didn't believe it. Until recently. Do you remember your childhood Seifer?" 

"Sir, I…" 

"Do you Mr. Almasy?" 

Seifer shook his head, remembering something about fireworks, but the rest wouldn't come. "Just something about Matron. I know she was important to me, but I can't remember why." 

The Headmaster sighed. "As I was afraid of. It doesn't matter. The others will help you remember. They are waiting for you in the Commander's office. I'll call someone to show you the way." 


	3. Unwelcome News

****

Convergence of Destiny

Chapter 2: Unwelcome News

"Hey Seifer! Y'know, it's been too quiet around here without you pissing me off at every turn."

The blond man eyed Xu warily as he awaited his guide to take him to Squall and the others. He could see the resentment that still lingered in her eyes. _Hell, I can't blame her. She's got every right, they all do. Why can't it be this easy with all of them? _He nodded coolly at her. "Xu."

She feigned shock. "What? No witty comeback? No personal digs? Not even a small smirk? What the hell happened to you, Almasy?"

"Xu, I…" He considered telling her to get out of his face, waving her away with a disdainful flick of his wrist. Instead, he done something unprecedented, something that surprised even him. "I'm sorry."

The dark haired girl's mouth hung open for a few seconds before she realised. "Seifer, other people may be willing to forgive you with a simple apology. In my opinion, they're fools. You want to make up for the things you did to us? Go and jump off a fu-"

"That's enough, Xu." 

She turned, red and shaking with rage to meet two, stormy grey-blue eyes. They betrayed no emotion as they returned her glare, calmly staring her down till her anger began to dissipate. Xu broke from the silent battle first, turning her gaze to the floor before jabbing a thumb roughly in Seifer's direction. "What the hell is he doing here? After what he did! You're just going to forgive and forget? At least discipline him, he's a Hynedamn murderer!"

"That's enough." The man repeated softly. "It's been a while, Seifer."

Green eyes betrayed a hint of suspicion. "It has."

"You know it's not going to be easy." It was a simple statement made without any discernible malice.

__

Coming back here, confronted at every turn by the faces scarred by my betrayal…not everyone accepts that I was controlled, but that was to be expected. Who ever said it was going to be easy?

"I know."

"You're sure?"

He nodded his head slowly. "Positive."

The other man raised an eyebrow, but was apparently satisfied by the answer. "Good enough for me. Let's go meet the others. They're looking forward to catching up with you again."

Seifer began to follow him out the door until Xu barred their path, jabbing a finger angrily into the lead mans chest. "What are you doing?"

"Stand down, Xu."

"Seifer, I'll personally make sure you fail! If you think I'm going to tolerate a maniac among the ranks of SeeD you have another thing coming Commander." She narrowed her eyes menacingly at the taller man.

He sighed, rubbing absently at his scar. "Don't call me that."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh for Hyne's sake, Squall! Face up to your responsibilities. You're the Commander, act like it! You could start by getting rid of this piece of shit."

Squall's eyes flashed in annoyance, his face still a blank canvas. He repeated himself quietly, forcefully. "Stand down, Xu."

Seifer watched the war of wills with interest. _Maybe…_He shook the fermenting thought from his mind, but filed it safely away for later use. He watched the other man, making silent observations. Squall, still stoical, still reticent around others had gained an edge. He could talk and people would clamour round, eager to listen to the gravelled tones. The changes were slight but they were there. A conversation with the green Commander could no longer be likened to drawing blood from a stone. The elusive smile, though still rare, made an appearance, which was frequent in comparison to mere months ago. Seifer knew who was responsible for the changes. He wasn't surprised when she entered the room, smiling warmly at the assembled trio.

"Hey guys." The smile faded slightly. "Um, what's going on?"

"Your boyfriend is letting this traitor literally get away with murder! Did you know he was coming back, Rinoa?"

The young sorceress grinned. "Yeah, I thought everyone did. We're glad he's home." She winked at Seifer, the blond returning her smile.

Xu flung up her arms in annoyance. "For Hyne's sake! Cid was wrong about you, Squall. You're not fit to be Commander. First you shack up with our enemy, the Sorceress and then you forgive the man who tried to kill us all. You're insane."

The impassive façade dropped as he barked at her. "Stand down, Xu! Get the hell out of my sight. You're suspended on half pay until further notice."

"You can't d-"

"You want to make it no pay?" Squall growled.

Rinoa stifled a giggle as the other girl turned on her heel, marching out smartly. "Jeez, what's stuck up her ass?"

"Hyne knows, Rin." Squall turned to the man whose scar mirrored his own. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

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Cid looked over the request, removing his glasses with a sigh as he rubbed the bridge of his nose between forefinger and thumb. Despite reading the letter several times, he could not displace the nagging unease he felt in the pit of his stomach as he looked over the document once again. Something about the solicitation was…strange. He looked up into the soft eyes of Edea as she walked into his office. 

"Is something wrong, darling?"

He smiled wearily perching the glasses back on his nose. "No, no. It's nothing. Winhill have requested SeeD's assistance."

His wife raised a delicately arched eyebrow. "And? Since when has a simple requisition thrown you into such a tizzy?" 

"Winhill is a quiet town, my dear."

"I know, darling. Please tell me what the problem is?"

He waved the letter about. "They've requested our children. The elite, the best of the best, Edea. They want them all! What can such a quiet little town require the most highly trained SeeD's for?"

Edea also looked confused as she gently removed the paper from his hand, scanning it quickly. "It does seem rather odd…the mission isn't for another few weeks. You're free then, why don't you tag along, make sure everything is above board?"

"I may just do that."

"Good. I know they have a monster problem, but nothing that would merit the attention of Squall and the others. It is a strange request." She planted a kiss atop his head before taking a seat opposite him.

He smiled slightly. "Well, at least I know I'm not just being paranoid. It's just that I worry, Edea. They're the closest thing we have to children. If anything was to happen to any of them…"

"I know. Squall's father has requested a meeting with him."

Cid couldn't contain his surprise. "Loire? Does Squall know?"

She shook her head. "No. President Loire didn't even know of him until they met during the Ultimecia incident. It is as Ellone told us, he never returned from Esthar in time. When he did return, he was told his wife had died in child birth, as had the infant." Edea sighed. "For a small town they were so cruel, meddling in people's lives, their destinies. It's wrong, Cid."

He moved to comfort his wife. "It is, my love. But all was for the best. Had it not been for that act, who knows what would have happened to us all?"

"You're right of course, but…Oh Cid, I just wish one of our children had had the chance at normality."

Cid looked into the amber eyes he loved and began to speak quietly. "Life is a series of converging paths, my dear, it is the convergence of destiny. The turns we take, the decisions that are made influence the rest of our days. We cannot fault the paths that others took, for they have led us to this point. What matters now is where we choose fate to take us. Choices from the past cannot be changed, the ones we face now, however, are alterable. We must look to the future, not regret the past."


	4. The Mission

**Convergence of Destiny**

**Chapter 3: The Mission **

"Will Squall, Rinoa, Quistis, Selphie, Zell, Irvine and Seifer please report t the Headmaster's Office at once?

As one the gang looked up from their various meals to stare at the speaker in the ceiling.

"All of us?" Quistis said quietly.

"Mfff _eifrr?_" Zell said.

"Zell, don't talk with your mouth full," Selphie giggled.

Zell swallowed the mouthful (several mouthfuls) of hotdog and took a breath. "And _Seifer_?" he said again, slightly more coherently.

"Zell, when are you going to learn to forgive and forget?" Rinoa asked tiredly.

"When he stops calling me chicken-wuss would be a good start," Zell muttered.

Selphie slapped him on the back. "Look on the bright side, he no longer wants to kill you," she said cheerfully.

"Selphie, he's trying to forget about all that. The least we can do is try as well," Quistis said gently.

Selphie looked embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry Quisty,"

"We'd better go see what Cid wants," Squall said. Slowly the group got up and walked from the canteen, Zell taking the opportunity to grab a few hot dogs before he left.

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Seifer walked through the Training Centre towards the lift to Cid's office. Students virtually _ran_ part him, or hugged against the walls, for fear he would suddenly draw the infamous Gunblade; Hyperion, and slice them to ribbons right there. It was getting tiring.

He kicked a loose rock on the way out, and it hit a tree with a dull _thud_ and stuck there. He was still angry with them.

"You're lying."

_Quistis sighed. She had known this would be difficult. "No, we're not. Search your memories, where the GFs are!" _

_"This is bullshit…" _

_Squall stepped forward. "Why would we lie?"_

And that was that. There was absolutely _no reason_ why Squall would screw with his head that this. _None._ Although they had done it anyway. It infuriated him. He had prided himself on being unaffected by the GFs. Now they were saying they had all grew up together, and he didn't remember!

Seifer walked past the lone SeeD standing guard outside the Training Centre and ignored him, heading straight for Cid. Why all of them? He wasn't even a SeeD yet, and his practical exam was at the same time as the others: Not Right Now.

As he stood waiting for the lift, he heard footsteps behind him, and turned to see the others coming up the steps behind him. Squall looked up, saw him, and nodded, barely. It was the entire greeting he gave. Irvine just waved, not having known him before the way. Selphie, ever the optimist, waved cheerfully. Quistis smiled, slightly more warmly than the others.

"Any idea what this is about?" Seifer asked as the lift descended, the doors slid open, and they all piled in. Good job they had installed a bigger one at FH.

Rinoa shook her head. "Nah, they just called us up in the middle of dinner."

"I can tell," Seifer said wryly, as Zell crammed his last 'borrowed' hot dog into his mouth. Zell glared at him, but said nothing, because Quistis was glaring at _him._

The rest of the ride went in silence, no-one knowing what to say. It was with relief that they stepped out of the elevator a few seconds later. Cid, unusually enough, looked worried when they entered.

He turned to face them, looking around the entire group. "I'm glad you could come. Something has come up."

He turned back to his desk and sorted through the piles of paperwork until he found single sheet of paper. He turned back. "Winhill has requested the assistance of SeeD. Apparently they have a severe monster problem, and they are unable to solve it themselves.

Seifer and Zell both suppressed a snort. The entire military of Winhill consisted of one old man with a pistol and as many boys with slingshots as the village had.

Cid continued. "They want us to go to Winhill, clear all the monsters from the area, and… wait, that's it." He looked puzzled, and read through the document again. "That really _is_ it," he said.

"What's wrong sir?" Quistis asked.

Cid looked back up. "Oh, my apologies. They didn't actually request SeeD _per se_, but asked specifically for you seven t go. And I have no idea why. Current estimates of the number of monsters and their species around Winhill suggest a student could go and clean the mess up, yet they asked for you, and I quote:

The town of Winhill asks that these SeeDs, and these alone, be sent to our town to dispose of the monsters that plague our living space:

_Squall Leonhart _

_Rinoa Heartilly _

_Quistis Trepe _

_Zeel Dincht _

_Selphie Tilmitt _

_Irvine Kinneas _

_Seifer Almasy _

Please find enclosed the account number from which you may draw your payment in advance, for the sum of…

"Whoa," Selphie said when the amount was read out. Irvine just whistled. 

"Hey, they spelt my name wrong!" Zell said.

"So, what seems to be wrong?" Squall asked formally.

"Winhill can't have that much money to throw around," Rinoa whispered. She had visited once, with Caraway, and it was hardly bigger than a town square and a few houses.

Cid sighed "And that is just it, they _do._ The account number they gave me has the gil to hire half of SeeD if they wanted to, and easily meets our requirements for a mission of this size, even if they weren't offering the vast sum that they are. It just doesn't seem possible that Winhill has become this rich without the rest of the world knowing," he said. He sighed. "It seems that I will be sending you." Zell opened his mouth, but Cid beat him to it. "I am totally aware that Mr Almasy is not yet a full SeeD, but under the circumstances I see no alternative but to send him. Frankly, Garden could really use the extra funds. Quistis?"

"Sir?" Quistis said.

"Judge cadet Almasy for this trip. If something is up, and I seriously expect it, then this may be his chance to enter Seed ahead of our previously agreed training program."

Seifer smiled. Never mind that they talked about him like he wasn't here, he was going to be a SeeD.

And this time, he wasn't going to screw it up.

"When do we leave?" asked Squall.

"Right now."

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Seifer sat and spun the Gunblade on its point as the car made its way down through Balamb Town to the harbour. He could hear Squall and Rinoa whispering silently in the corner. Selphie was laid in Irvine's lap, and Zell and Quistis were staring out the windows.

Seifer flicked his fingers again and the Hyperion spun around, sunlight glinting from it's polished edges.

"Hey, quit it," Zell said, as the reflections blinded him.

Seifer smirked. "Sorry Chick… Zell," he said.

Zell blinked when he heard his actual name coming from Seifer's actual lips.

Seifer put the Hyperion back into the case and laid back into the headrest. "So, Instruct… Quistis (_Damn! I'm really going to have to learn do say their names…)_, this may be my actual field exam eh?" Although he wouldn't admit it, he was excited. SeeD had been his dream before becoming a Knight had ever crossed his mind. Even after everything, he still relished the thought of putting on _that_ uniform.

Quistis broke away from her reverie at the window and turned to look at him. "I assume so. Cid said to judge on you this assignment, Hyne knows why, but he may be considering early graduation. After everything that happened, you certainly don't need to prove your marital ability," she said.

Seifer resisted the urge to smile at Squall and say; _See? Somebody believes in me._ He looked across at him anyway. _What the hell…_

Quistis didn't even turn her head. "Don't."

Seifer shut his mouth.

The car pulled up to the dock and one by one the group disembarked. Seifer remembered the last time he had been on a SeeD assault Boat, on the way to Dollet on the last 'normal' mission he and the others had eve taken. Things had gone spectacularly paranormal after that.

Seifer was second-to-last into the boat, followed closely by Zell. He had a feeling. It wasn't politeness as he sat down for the long trip to the smaller town. It felt a funny tingling in his fingers, and massaged them carefully. If Cid was right and something was up, then he would be ready for it, whatever happened. He could handle it.

He didn't know how wrong he was.


	5. Run Like Hell

Seifer stared out at the wind ripple among the waves, and the illusion of the setting sun igniting the ocean in a fiery blaze. The sight calmed and soothed his nerves. It was something he needed at the moment. Below decks was loud and noisy. Zell and the rest were engaged in a boisterous conversation when he left. It was one he found difficult to follow, as they talked about old childhood memories. He found it difficult to remember the orphanage, but it was slowly coming back to him. 

He had thought they were lying at first, but with effort the memories returned. Matron, fireworks, picking on Zell. It was strange to have forgotten. These people he had fought so many times in the recent past, were the only thing he had once upon a time. Now, things had come full circle. He was back to the beginning. The Orphanage Gang had been fully reassembled. Even the Headmaster had come along for this trip; why he had not said. The only one missing was Matron. She had stayed behind to mind the Garden in Squall and Cid's absence. 

_Back to the beginning. Back home_. It was a thought he liked more and more as the trip progressed. It was just difficult to assimilate this all at once. It was something he hadn't anticipated when this job was taken. Therein lay the difficulty. The money wasn't important to him, it never truly had been. Why had he taken this job then? Because while on Ultimecia's leash, he had seen how close the group below had come? Because maybe some distant part of himself wanted to be included in it? 

Seifer shook his head. The reasons didn't matter. He had no intention of fulfilling this contract . Becoming a SeeD was his dream, the only one he had left now. Damned if he was going to give it up, even it was for an insane amount of money. His employer could go screw himself.

"Hey."

Seifer didn't bother to turn around. He knew it was Squall. "Needed to get away?"

"Yeah, all the noise was starting to give me a headache."

Seifer sniffed in amusement. Another memory suddenly came unbidden to him. "As kids… you and me, we used to fight a lot didn't we."

Squall stared out over the ocean for a moment. "Yeah. Starting to come back to you?"

"Little by little." Seifer decided it was time to ask the question that had been bothering him. "Why did you guys let me return?"

The Commander settled his arms against the rail. "When we found out, it was pretty unbelievable to all of us, except Irvine. He was the only one who remembered. The biggest shock was when we realized you were there too. None of us are blood related, but we were raised as a family, and we're a family again. We all want to stay that way. That includes you."

The boat suddenly veered away from the ocean and towards the coastline. Seifer asked. "Why are we going to shore?"

Squall shrugged. "Three day trip to Winhill by boat. I guess everyone decided to sleep on land."

Seifer agreed with that wholeheartedly. Sleeping in the cramped quarters of the fast attack boat with seven other people wasn't his idea of a good time. "Guess we're not that close of a family huh?"

A flicker of a smile appeared on Squall's face. "We're a family that needs some space."

"Guess so. Hey Squall, about this mission…" Seifer's confession of the true nature of this expedition was short circuited by his beeper going off. He looked down and saw the number he had feared appear on the display. 

Squall asked. "Who's that?"

Seifer began to speak the truth, but a lie appeared in its place. The courage to face Squall with the truth had left with the sound of the beeper. He decided it didn't matter. All he had to do was not perform his part, and no one would know any better. "It's just Raijin. Fujin probably beat him up again, and he's calling to whine about it."

"Whatever. Need some privacy?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind."

"No problem." Squall turned to go, but turned around just as he was about to step on the ladder. "Almost forgot. Could use a partner to train with. Morning sound good?"

Seifer grinned. "Works for me."

"Good. Only one thing."

"What's that?"

Squall ran a hand along his forehead, between the eyes. "No scars this time."

Seifer laughed. "Promise."

Squall stepped down the ladder, and Seifer pulled a cell phone out of his trench coat. Time to tell his employer to talk to a wall.

******************************************************************************************

"And furthermore people of Esthar, I promise that every family shall have a chicken with pot--"

Kiros interrupted. "That's a chicken in every pot! A chicken in every pot!"

"Errr ..right. Sorry about that." Laguna cleared his throat and began again from the beginning. "We are entering a new age. Since the defeat of Adel, we have been in isolation. Those days are over. It is now the role of our country to lead the world in a new era of peace. The Lunar Cry and Time Compression have ended. No longer do we have to fear the specter of monsters humming at our doorstep."

Kiros threw the text of the speech up in the air. "Stop! Just stop!"

Laguna glanced at his friend in confusion. "What did I say?"

Kiros gave a long suffering sigh. "It was supposed to be howling at our doorstep."

Ward and Ellone exchanged glances, and she giggled. "How have you gotten through speeches in the past?"

Laguna scratched the back of his head. "Well, there have been some goofs."

Kiros chuckled. "Some?"

Laguna defended himself. "Hey, the TV rating for my speeches are through the roof every time."

Kiros shook his head, holding his tongue. That his speeches were classified in the ratings as a sit-com was a fact that was carefully hidden from the President. No one wished to hurt his feelings with that knowledge. Every seventh day, families would gather around the television for his half hour speech. It was the highlight of the broadcast week, and had been for years. His mangling of the language often sent people into howls of laughter. Despite his flaws with speeches, the people of Esthar held great affection for him. They put up with his speeches, and other gaffes with good grace. 

There were other quirks. Laguna proclaimed occasional odd holidays; 'National Pet Your Chocobo Day' being the latest example. In every poll conducted, the Estharian people said they didn't want a President who took things TOO seriously, and Laguna certainly fit that criteria. The speeches and the quirks weren't truly important anyway. In the ways that counted, Laguna Loire had done a good job. Leading the country in the difficult period after Adel, a booming economy, and he had helped save his country from the brink of disaster. The people of Esthar recognized these qualities, and so elected him each and every time for almost 20 years now. 

Kiros put these thoughts aside, and tried to coach Laguna in speech again. Laguna would give an address without errors at least once in his tenure, or Kiros would die trying. Considering it had been going on for so long, he suspected it would be the latter. "Ok Laguna, one more time, from the top."

Laguna merely sighed, and sat upon a nearby chair. "No, my heart's not in it."

"Come on…"

"I said no Kiros!"

Startled by this uncharacteristic outburst, Kiros backed up a step. Everything was silent for a moment, until Ellone came to lay a hand on his arm. "Uncle Laguna, when are you going to tell Squall?"

Laguna buried his face in his hands, and replied. "The kid thinks I'm a moron."

Ellone shook her head back and forth slowly. "He deserves to know."

"He's gotten along well enough without a father for all these years. He'll get along fine without me now."

"I'll go with you if you want. You're not a moron. Squall just doesn't know you well enough yet."

Laguna raised his head. "I'll tell him eventually. I just have to find the guts first." Without another word, the President got to his feet, and stalked from the room.

******************************************************************************************

Seifer carefully checked below him to make sure no one was listening, and dialed the number into the cell phone. It was picked up on the first ring. "_You took your time Almasy._"

"Doesn't matter. The deal's off. Keep your money."

"_This isn't the kind of thing you can just walk away from_."

"Sure it is. I'm doing it now, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."

A sudden laugh erupted from the other end of the phone. "_Sure there is Almasy. Did you think I could build up a syndicate like this without planning for every contingency? You're not untouchable you know_."

Seifer's eyes narrowed, and he asked. "What the hell you mean by that?"

The sound of the phone transferring reached Seifer's ears, and he heard a most familiar voice. "_Seifer, he's got us ya know_."

"_CAPTIVE_."

"Raijin, Fujin? What the hell are you doing there?!"

The voice of his employer returned. "_I just let them on to let you know I'm not bluffing. You WILL do your job Almasy. I don't think I have to lay out what'll happen if you don't_."

Seifer closed his eyes in anger. "You're a bastard."

"_Thanks for the compliment. There's been a change of plans. You're going to accompany them for a while. Do what you have to do, but don't let them know about it. I want you there to keep tabs on them._"

"Why?"

"_They're dangerous people. Their flight will be a nice distraction for the world, while I do my real work, but I don't kid myself. I know what they're capable of. I want you there so I can know their plans_."

"This won't work."

"_Sure it will. You have no idea how far my reach extends. I can even take down Presidents if I want to. Which you'll find out soon enough_. _There's going to be someone there to meet you when you reach Winhill. She's going to give you what you need, and help however necessary. Do what she says Almasy, and everything will turn out fine for you, and your two friends_." With that, the phone went dead.

Seifer stared at the phone for a moment. He had no choice. He was going to have to betray the Orphanage Gang a second time. 

******************************************************************************************

_There you are_. After disembarking at shore, the gang had quickly set up a camp of sorts. Even Seifer had pitched in, and it was taken care of with a minimum of fuss. Somewhere in the midst of the work, Squall had disappeared. It always amazed Rinoa how sneaky he could be. He was currently sitting on a log in the midst of a clearing. Well, she could be sneaky too.

Creeping quietly, she made it within three feet of him. Her left foot fell upon a stick which snapped with an audible crunch. Squall leapt to his feet, and in one fluid motion, withdrew the Lionheart and whirled in a blur. Before she could react, the blade stopped inches from her neck. Rinoa glanced at it somewhat nervously. "Little on edge there Squall?"

Squall relaxed his posture, and put the Lionheart back in it's sheath. "You just surprised me."

"You'd think as my Knight, you'd be able to sense my presence by now."

He shrugged, and sat down upon the log again. "Edea said that would come with time."

She stepped up behind him, and placed her hands on his shoulders, and began to massage the tense muscles underneath. Rinoa thought it a great sign that he no longer tried to pull away when she attempted contact, even in public. Mr. Leonhart had been a project, but one that was turning out quite nicely. She suddenly grinned. "Guess you're still an apprentice Knight then."

"Whatever."

Squall began to relax as her finger kneaded their way across his shoulders. "Hyne, you were tense. What's wrong?" He didn't reply for a moment, and she knocked on the side of his head gently. "Hello, you promised, no zoning."

Squall sighed in irritation, but he did answer. "I don't know. Just a feeling. Something about this mission is wrong."

"How so?"

"Cid and I haven't told anyone else, but… Garden is in pretty dire financial trouble."

"Huh? I thought you had loads of money from when NORG ran the place."

"We did. Someone lifted all the gil out of the accounts by computer. We haven't been able to find out anything about who did it, or where the money is. Whoever did it, they were pros."

Rinoa frowned for a moment. That would explain the atmosphere she had sensed from the Garden hierarchy as of late. They had all seemed a little nervous and distracted. "Well, this mission will go a long ways to helping out won't it? Winhill's paying a lot of money for this."

"And where did they get the money Rin? It's not a big money town, you know that. And why did they specifically ask for us, and Seifer to come along?"

"You still don't trust Seifer, do you?"

Squall hung his head lower, and shook it back and forth. "I'm not sure, after everything that's happened…. He seems to genuinely want to become a SeeD. His attitude is completely different this time, but… I just don't know."

Rinoa thought that this had gone on long enough. Squall Leonhart worrying and thinking too much was definitely not a good thing. She asked. "Squall, do you trust me?"

"Yeah, but what's that got--"

She interrupted him. "Good, now stand up, and take two steps forward."

"Why?"

Rinoa chuckled. "Never mind why. I, your Sorceress, command it."

Squall finally rolled his shoulders forward in defeat, and stood, taking two steps forward. "Fine. I've done it, now what?"

Rinoa grinned, and jumped on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck.. "I want a piggy back ride to camp."

"Rinoa, get down."

She pouted. "It's not like you've never given me one before."

"You were in a coma then. I think you're capable of walking back yourself. Now get down."

"Nope, don't think I will."

"I'll drop you."

Rinoa took a deep breath, then launched into her best Selphie voice. "IfyoudropmethenI'llfall. I'llbreakmyankleandthenI'llcryandneverforgiveyou."

Squall rolled his eyes, and muttered. "What did I do to deserve this?"

Rinoa laughed. "No complaining!" She pantomimed cracking a whip over his shoulder, complete with sound effects. "Now back to camp. Mush, Leonhart, mush!"

*****************************************************************************************

Several days later, the group finally arrived at Winhill. Seifer had become even more withdrawn , and Squall couldn't even begin to guess why. The last hill had been reached, and they received their first view of the sleepy little town. Only it wasn't so sleepy. There were Galbadian troops situated around the town, and fiddling with equipment on the outskirts. Glancing at it, he saw the equipment was most likely gas canisters of some sort, complete with large fan systems. This hadn't been what any of them had expected at all. He turned to the Headmaster. "Did anything about the mission request mention something like this?"

Cid adjusted his glasses, and looked at the activity, mystified. "No, it did not."

Zell burst forth. "I'm not working with any damned Galbadian!"

Irvine patted the Exeter at his side, and gazed at Zell pointedly. "You forgetting that I'm a Galbadian, Zell? And Rinoa too?"

Zell suddenly looked uncomfortable. "You know what I mean. I'm not going to work with any Galbadian troops. We've fought em too many times."

Quistis sighed, and moved to the front. "You'll do what you're told Zell. We're professionals, and will do our jobs, even if we don't like it."

She them began walking towards the town, Selphie, Irvine, and Rinoa following. Zell slammed his fist into the ground. "Damnit!"

Squall merely shook his head. "She's right Zell, let's just get it over with." 

Seifer and the Headmaster followed, and they reached the area where the soldiers were setting up the equipment. The one who seemed to be the leader of the Galbadians looked at them. "You the SeeD's?"

Squall nodded. "Yeah."

"Good. Ready for your briefing?"

Cid shook his head, and stood forward. "Squall, I'm going into town to talk to the mayor. I'm going to get to the bottom of this. Contact me via cell phone if need be."

The Commander nodded. Cid headed to the direction of the town, and Squall pointed to the canisters. "What are these?"

"It's a type of experimental, monster repellent. Completely harmless to people, but monsters can't stand the smell. Something about their noses being far more sensitive than ours. Don't understand it all myself."

Squall absently rubbed between his eyes. Yet another thing that didn't make sense. "If this is supposed to keep monsters away, why are we here? The contract stated we're supposed to clear them all out of this area."

"Yeah, it was decided a two pronged plan was best. As good as you SeeD's may be, you can't get all of em. You can certainly thin the population though."

Squall crossed his arms, and thought for a moment. There were certainly a lot of questions that still needed to be answered; like what Galbadians were doing in Winhill, but Cid would likely find out more from the Mayor. He decided it could wait. "We'll do just that. Anything more to add?"

"Yeah, we got another two or three stations placed around the town." He withdrew a package and handed a set of walkie talkies to Squall. "We'll keep in contact with each other, let you know what's going on. We'll take care of the town. You take care of the monsters outside. Clear em out."

Squall turned away, and led his team away from the soldiers. He handed each of them a communications device. "Alright, you heard our orders. We've got a lot of ground to cover, so we're each going to be on our own."

Selphie glanced at him quizzically. "You sure that's a good idea? Wouldn't teams be better?"

"No, there's nothing around here that could even begin to threaten us. Caterchipillars and Bite Bugs aren't exactly strong." He tapped his radio. "Keep in constant contact though. Someone will likely be near you if you get in trouble. Zell and Selphie, cover the left quadrants. Quistis and Seifer, the right. Rinoa and I will cover the center. Irvine, hold yourself back. If someone gets in trouble, I want you to come running. And stay away from that gas or whatever it is."

Irvine tipped his hat in agreement, and the rest scattered to their assignments. Rinoa walked beside Squall as they walked to their assigned area. "Are you sure about letting me fight alone?"

"We've been over this. You're more than strong enough now."

Rinoa looked down. "Yeah, but…"

Squall looked over at her, and gave one of his rare smiles. "You'll be fine. If not, just call. I'll be there before you know it."

******************************************************************************************

Another Bite Bug fell before Seifer's attack, and he finally admitted it to himself. He was bored. There was no challenge in this, for any of them. This should have been a field exam for students. He was surprised that none of the rest of the gang had figured out that there was something fishy about the whole thing, Seifer could have told them all too well. He wanted to tell them, but then Raijin and Fujin were dead,. His employer wanted him to stay with them after this was over, but he didn't know how he would face them. Not after this.

A voice from the side alerted him to another presence. She was standing by a truck that had several canisters identical to the ones that contained monster repellent. Unlike normal, she was dressed in civilian clothes, complete with a trench coat. "About time you showed up Seifer. Been waiting for you for hours."

Seifer tapped Hyperion against his shoulder in irritated fashion. Of all the people he could have worked with, it had to be her, "You my contact Xu?"

"Wow, what a lucky guess. Of course I am."

"Thought you were a good little SeeD. And what are Galbadians doing here? This isn't their jurisdiction."

"It is now. You'd be surprised how far our employer's reach extends. The other stuff isn't any of your business. Now give me a hand here. These canisters aren't light."

Seifer reluctantly hefted two of the canisters, and set the on the ground beside him. "What is this shit anyway?"

"Chemical agent, courtesy of Esthar. Dr. Odine made it about five years ago. One of his crazy experiments I guess."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh great, let's infect the whole world."

Xu chuckled. "It won't infect the world dimwit. It's a nerve gas, not a germ. It dissipates itself in a few hours. Whoever's exposed to it dies quickly. No one survives this."

Seifer ran a hand through his hair. "Xu…Cid's in that town."

"And your point?" Seifer glared at her, and she laughed. "Don't matter a bit to me. He's the one who picked that punk Leonhart as Commander. That should have been my job. Now let's get to work. I scouted the area. Irvine's within view of the first Galbadian team. How do we get rid of him? Kill him?"

Seifer closed his eyes, he was committed now, no going back; but he could at least make sure Irvine lived. "No, I can take care of it." He depressed the button on his walkie talkie and spoke. "Irvine, I need some help here!"

_"From Bite Bugs? You losing it Seifer?"_

"Not Bite Bugs! It's--!" He let go of the button.

Xu raised an eyebrow. "Nice. Let them think you're being attacked by someone. That's how you plan on staying with them."

"Yeah, I'll just tell them I was knocked unconscious, and didn't get a good look at 'em."

Irvine's voice came over the radio. _"Seifer? What the hell happened?!"_

Squall interrupted. _"Get over there Irvine, you too Quistis._"

Xu grinned, and picked up her canister. "Let's get this show on the road. You take care of the soldiers, I'll take care of the rest."

******************************************************************************************

"I must say, I sense something not quite above board about this."

The mayor, a man named Hiram, glanced at Cid oddly. "You're being paid. What does it matter?"

The Headmaster hated being confrontational. He wasn't good at it, but there were things he had to know. "And how did you pay such an enormous sum? I know it didn't come from here."

Hiram assumed a somewhat abashed expression. "There was a benefactor…"

"Tell me." The mayor was suddenly close mouthed, and Cid said. "With one phone call I can cancel this mission. Don't think I won't do it."

Hiram sighed, and went to the desk, pulling out several letters, handing them to Cid. "It was rather a surprise, but President Loire of Esthar contacted me sometime ago. He lived here once. The letters state that he would help us out financially. It was a rather large amount. He also worked out a diplomatic deal whereby we could place ourselves under Galbadian protection."

Cid began shuffling through the letters. "Why would you need Galbadian protection?"

"We have been in trouble financially for some time. We have been unable to hire monster hunters for almost a year now. The creatures have caused quite a bit of damage."

Cid nodded absently, and immediately noticed something strange about the letters. He had seen Laguna Loire's handwriting. The President had sent several letters to him in the past. Laguna's script was cramped, and difficult to read. This handwriting was clear, and rather neat. These letters were written by another hand. "Have you had any contact with Mr. Loire other than letters?"

"No, other than a message from a bank stating that the gil had been placed in the town's account."

Cid adjusted his glasses, and attempted to keep his irritation in. There was something very wrong here, and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

*****************************************************************************************

Seifer pasted a smile on his face, and walked towards the Galbadian soldiers. There were only two at each station, so this would be easy. One of the soldiers turned his way. "Hey, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be--" His sentence was never finished, Seifer drew Hyperion in a blur, and was among them. He cut both of them down before either could draw a weapon. 

Xu came into view then, carrying one of the deadly cylinders. "Alright. Won't be long now."

"How are we not going to be caught in this?"

She shrugged. "Canister's rigged for a time release. We have a half hour. We'll get a safe distance away, and watch. Let the agents hit the fans. The wind will take care of the rest." Seifer wet a finger, and held it up in the breeze. Xu laughed, "Don't worry Almasy. The wind always blows towards the town here."

Xu detached the monster repellent canister, and attached her own to the hose. "Done. Two more stations to go. Then we're finished."

******************************************************************************************

"And why the need for my best SeeD's? Students could have taken care of this."

The mayor was obviously flustered by Cid's constant round of questions. "It was suggested by Mr. Loire in his letters. He gave them the highest recommendation."

Cid rubbed the back of his neck, and exploded in frustration. "These letters were not written by Laguna Loire! What possible reason could there be for him to send so much money here?!"

The mayor shrank back into his chair, and responded weakly. "He was once a resident here…"

Cid banged his hands on the desk, and sighed. He might actually believe that, if it weren't for the handwriting. The Headmaster turned away, and began to think, trying to put all the pieces in place. The disappearance of the funds from Garden's account, money from an unknown source, fake letters from Laguna Loire, he could almost put his finger on it, but not quite. There was still a piece of the puzzle missing. He was so deep in thought, he didn't notice the graying of the atmosphere. It was the funny smell, and a sudden dizziness that alerted him.

The mayor asked. "What in Hyne's name?"

Cid swayed back and forth, trying to keep on his feet. He reached inside his pocket, and withdrew his cell phone. A pain swept through his body, and the phone dropped. Cid crashed to the ground. His last thoughts before falling were that this was the last piece of the puzzle. His children and Laguna were being set up to take the fall for this. The Headmaster knew that he was already dead. He just hadn't stopped breathing yet.

Time passed, and Cid's body was wracked by excruciating agony. In between waves, he would strain and reach for the phone. It lay tantalizingly out of reach, almost as if it were teasing him. 

***************************************************************************************

Squall pressed the button on his radio. "Irvine, Quistis, anything?"

Quistis answered. _"Nothing. There's lots of Bite Bug and Caterchipillar corpses around here. No signs of Seifer anywhere."_

Squall sighed, and talked into the radio again. "Keep looking. Everyone else, status report."

Selphie and Zell both reported as doing well. There was no answer from Rinoa for a moment. Squall held his breath in worry, until she finally answered. _"Sorry. Was fighting a couple bite bugs. Everything fine here" _

Squall let a flicker if a smile play across his lips. "See? You can fight alone."

He could detect a bit of amusement in her answer. _"I'm a mushing Squall."_

Zell's voice interrupted their little repartee. _"Uh, Squall, have you heard anything from the soldier's stations?"_

Squall rubbed his forehead absently in puzzlement. As matter of fact, they hadn't. They had said they would keep in constant contact. "No. I'm going to go check it out now."

Walking towards the outskirts of the town, Squall withdrew a cloth from his jacket and began wiping the Lionheart. His thoughts drifted a he walked to what was happening with Cid, wondering if he had gotten any answers from the townsfolk. Seifer's disappearance was a worry in his mind, but Quistis and Irvine were on it. He could trust them to take care of it. 

Squall still found that hard to believe. Not so long ago, trust had been a foreign concept to him. Now, he had found people he could rely on. Friends, family. It was a whole new world to him, one he was glad to experience at long last. Topping the last hill, he saw the something quite unexpected. The first station was in view, and he could see the soldiers lying on the ground, pools of blood congealing from them. That wasn't what frightened him though. Rising from the canisters, and being blown toward town by the fan system was a foreboding gray cloud. He took a few steps towards it, but an instinct told him to stop. Whatever it was, it wasn't anything that boded well. A sudden urgency struck as a thought occurred to him. He drew the cell phone from his pocket, and hit the speed button dial for the Headmaster. 

It rang six times with no answer. "Come on! Come on!" Finally, a soft click indicated it had been picked up. Squall wasted no time. "Headmaster, get the hell out of there! Now!"

A barely audible chuckle occurred, and the Headmaster's voice could barely be heard. _"I'm..afraid it's a… little late for that. Some… kind of chemical I think."_

Squall's fist tightened about his weapon. "Sir, where are you?! I'll come in and get you!"

_"You…will do no such thing. I'm… already dead Squall. Everyone… in this town is. We… just haven't stopped breathing yet."_

Squall closed his eyes, and began to shake with emotion. Cid was the only father figure he had ever known. "Sir, I'll find a way! I'm not--"

_"Squall, you…must listen to me. Mission…a sham. Meant to get you here…set you…you and President Loire…will be blamed for this."_

The Commander spoke quietly into the phone. "Sir…"

Another chuckle occurred, and the Headmaster's voice rose, as if he were gathering the last of his strength to speak. _"You've never been…one to speak with words. There's no need to tell me. You know what you… have to do."_

"Yeah."

_"Run Squall. Run like hell. The day will…come when you revenge this… but that day is not today. Promise me… something."_

"Anything."

_"All you have…is each other now. Take care of them son. You're.. the children Edea.. . and I never had. I leave them …in your hands."_

Squall's voice choked with emotion, and he spoke words that he had never said to anyone, even Rinoa. "Sir…I love you."

He could never say why, but he knew that Cid was smiling as he replied. _"Love you… too son. Tell Edea I… you know."_

"I will."

There was an unbearable screech of pain, and then all was silent at the other end. Squall knew at that moment that the Headmaster was dead. He threw the phone down in a fit of rage, but quickly calmed himself. Mourning could come later, right now he had a promise to fulfill.

He clicked his radio. "Everyone, go to Seifer's previous position. Find him. Then meet back at the boat."

Irvine answered. _"We're not done with the mission yet."_

Squall screamed into the speaker. "No questions! Just fucking do it!"

******************************************************************************************

Xu filmed the scene of the mist, and then panned to the sight of Squall Leonhart some distance away on the hill, holding his gunblade. Seifer stood beside her, and exclaimed. "Goddamnit! Why are you making a movie out of this?!"

Xu grinned. "Just putting the nail in the coffin. The news shows should find this little scene interesting."

Seifer ground his teeth in frustration. He knew part of the plan was to make a computer and paper trail that led right to the Orphanage Gang's doorstep. The one thing he didn't know was who else the fake evidence would lead to. This filming was overkill. His employer's computer people were top notch. Everything would appear genuine, and nobody would be able to say it wasn't real. 

She interrupted his thoughts. "Time to get going Almasy. They're looking for you." It took everything he had not to kill Xu at this point. Her next statement only made it worse. "Don't even think about telling them Seifer. You know what will happen to your two friends if you do."

He didn't trust himself to not stuff Hyperion into her belly, so he did the only thing he could. Seifer walked away, at almost a run. He quickly ran his cover story through his mind. Got jumped from behind, knocked unconscious. After a few moments, Seifer couldn't concentrate on that. He had betrayed the Orphanage Gang, his family, again. Did it ever end?


	6. The Hunted

The seven stood on the bluffs surrounding Winhill, watching dejectedly as the putrid gas began to dissipate. The telling silence hung heavily in the air as they watched the town from above, the usual hustle and bustle hauntingly absent. A brief moment of hope as a youth staggered toward the town limits, only to collapse, his last choking breath spent on his vain attempt to escape. No one from the town had survived; bodies lay strewn on the cobbled paths where they had attempted to flee their fate. From the vantagepoint of the seven, they looked like ants. It made it all the more horrifying to realise those ants were people they had conversed with mere hours before.

Selphie gripped the radio tightly, as if by holding on to that physical object the situation would disappear and the dead would rise, laughing at them, telling them it was a joke. Tears ran unfettered as she whispered Cid's name futilely into the communication device. "Headmaster? Please respond. Cid?"

Squall bit his lip, gently prying the radio from her white knuckled hands. "He's gone. They're all gone."

She shook her head defiantly. "No."

"Yes." Quistis interrupted softly. "We need to leave, we need to get away from here now. I've got a bad feeling about this. We'll report to Galbadia Garden."

"I don't think it's safe." Squall began hesitantly. "I think we've been set up to take the fall for this."

"We saved the world! People don't forget about things like that when it comes to pointing fingers." Irvine flailed his arms wildly, panicked at the emerging situation.

Seifer nodded sagely. "They do. Especially when you've got a Sorceress and Ultimecia's lapdog in your numbers. I hate to say it, but Squall's right. We find a place to lay low until we can contact Garden and find out the situation. We act then and only then." 

Squall turned to Rinoa and Zell; both stood frozen as they observed the terrible stillness of Winhill. "Rin? Zell? What do you think?"

"We need to get away. Something's coming." Rinoa replied dully, her eyes glazed.

Zell tore his eyes from the town, offering what he could. "Where do we go? We don't even have the ship. They'll be looking for us in the cities."

Seifer winced as he gave the suggestion. "Fisherman's Horizon. Everyone keeps themselves to themselves. We should be able to keep our anonymity there for a few days at least. Hopefully, that's all we'll need."

"Agreed. Move out and stay in clusters of two or three. Harder to spot that way." Squall sighed, resigning himself to the reality of the predicament. Cid had warned him, he had to take that warning seriously. _Cid…_ He shook the thought away. Now was not the time for sentiment, emotion was a weakness they could not afford. The time for grief would come soon enough.

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Edea paced worriedly. In all their years of marriage, Cid had never once failed to call her of an evening. Day was now breaking and still no word had been heard from Winhill. She picked up the phone before replacing the receiver in a rash of indecision. A tentative knock at the door startled her from her thoughts and she was shocked to hear how weak her voice was as she permitted entry. A junior classman entered nervously, handing over a notice before scuttling away hastily. She called her thanks, relief flooding over her as she tore the envelope open. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, the phone lines must have been down, he was stuck in a meeting and it was too late to call. At least he'd sent her a telegram.

She settled down in the chair to read, her eyes widening in horror and her hand flying to her mouth to muffle the scream that escaped her lungs.

__

Winhill has been attacked. Stop. Everyone is lost. Stop. Recovery process underway. Stop. Cid's body will be returned today. Stop. The SeeD's sent are the suspects. Stop. My thoughts are with you. Stop. 

Martine.

Edea clutched the telegram to her chest, crumpling it into a ball as she stared unseeing at the picture Cid kept on his desk of the two of them on their wedding day. Reality began to dawn on her; she'd never see him again. The former Sorceress began to weep.

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Seifer's eyes flicked over to Quistis, his brow creasing at her resolute stare toward the horizon and her steady pace. All her thoughts, feelings poured into each step, pounding the emotion out of her body. He recognised the look; she was tranquil enough to the untrained eye, beneath the calm surface lay disarray. The former knight placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to keep his own emotions in check as her body stiffened at his touch. "Quistis? I miss him too."

It was true. He didn't want this; he didn't care about the money, the power. He'd give it all up for Raijin and Fujin to be by his side, Cid at Garden, this whole sorry affair to be nothing more than a bad dream. He'd lost the only man he could ever have thought of as a father and it was his fault. The guilt was gnawing at his heart, his stomach turned and lurched with every step they took that brought them closer to Fisherman's Horizon. He watched as her blue eyes flashed briefly, the only hint of anger she'd allow herself to display to him. "There's something we're missing. It runs deeper than we think."

He was amazed by her astuteness before mentally rebuking himself. _Of course she's sharp, she's a Hynedamn Instructor!_

"I agree. We'll figure it out. It'll be ok."

She stopped, her sapphire eyes burning into his own ones of jade. "Do you really believe that?"

He nodded. "I do. Trust me, Quisty. We'll find a way."

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"Are you ok? You're quiet, quieter than usual and that's scary."

He allowed himself a little smile as Rinoa squeezed his hand. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking."

"What about?"

He remembered the time Cid had taught him to tie his shoes, ride a bike. The times he'd sat up with him and let him cry into his sweater, never saying a word, just being there for him. Long forgotten memories that had only recently began to resurface with a councillor's help. He turned to face Rinoa, let her understand him that little bit more. "Cid." He said truthfully.

"I miss him too. Poor Edea, she must be beside herself. He was such a nice man." She sighed wistfully.

Squall's face tightened involuntarily. "She's probably been told that it was us that killed them all." 

"Oh Hyne…" She breathed. "What do we do?"

"There's nothing we can do right now. We get to FH, we find out where we stand and we act accordingly. We'll get through this, we've been through worse."

Rinoa played with her hair as she fretted. "Back then it was only a evil Sorceress hell bent on the destruction of worlds past, present and future. Now we may have the whole world as our enemy." 

He disentangled his fingers from hers and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I told you before, even if the world is your enemy, I'll still be your Knight."

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"Hey, these bonds are really tight, ya know?"

"AFFIRMATIVE."

The man shook his head and smiled, revealing a broad expanse of teeth. "Tsk tsk. Do you really expect me to fall for that, little SeeD's? I'm not your precious Headmaster, I don't _care_ if you're in pain."

Raijin narrowed his eyes, muttering under his breath. "Seifer's gonna kick your ass, ya know?"

"I'd like to see him try." Xu brushed by him with a grin, pushing up Fujin's chin to force her to look her in the eye. "Want to see how ol' Fujin here would manage with one less eye? Hey, can you even speak in sentences, moron?"

Fujin smiled coldly. "Fuck you, Xu. Get the hell out of my face, bitch." 

Xu stepped backwards in surprise. "Wow, it speaks." She turned to her master. "What do you want done with them?"

"Nothing yet. They still have a purpose to serve. Get them food and water and get someone down here to watch them."

She saluted smartly. "Consider it done."

"What did I ever do to deserve you?"

Xu smiled wickedly. "It must've been something very, very good indeed."

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"President Laguna, Sir, if you'd just look at this proposal - "

Rarely did Laguna get angry, but when he did if was a magnificent sight to behold. "I'm not looking at any damn proposal! I've said it before; there's not a snowball's hope in hell that I'll ever endorse this. Get it out of my sight!"

The aide muttered something under his breath and Laguna spun on his heel, grabbing the man by his lapels and pushing his face very close to the other mans. "What did you say?"

"I said 'on your head be it.'"

"What's that meant to mean?" Laguna growled.

The man pulled himself free of Laguna's grip and grinned at him, it was a cold, calculating smile. "You'll find out soon enough. Enjoy what's left of your term." 

He sauntered out the door, leaving Laguna to ponder his words. He leant out the door after a moment, calling after the retreating figure; "I've got a lifelong term! Ha!" He brushed off his hands triumphantly and grinned at Kiros. "Man, what an ass."

"I don't think you appreciate that that was a thinly veiled threat." Kiros commented.

"Course I do!" Laguna looked confused, before asking in a small voice. "Don't I?"

Ward looked at him despairingly as Kiros snorted. "Of course. Come, there's breaking news about Winhill, I think you should hear it."

"What? Why?"

"The population of the towns been murdered, Cid Kramer and some dignitaries that were present are also amongst the fallen."

Laguna slumped in a chair. "Damn shame. Send Edea my condolences, find out when the funeral is, I want to attend, show the kids some support, y'know? Do they know who's behind it?"

Kiros and Ward exchanged a worried glance, a look that Laguna picked up on. "There's something you're not telling me." He stated accusingly.

Kiros cleared his throat. "There is more. The prime suspects are…"

"Who?" 

"Look for yourself."

He buried his hands in his hair, letting the scrap of paper fall to the ground; the names burned into his mind. _Squall Leonhart, Rinoa Heartilly, Zell Dincht, Quistis Trepe, Seifer Almasy, Irvine Kinneas, Selphie Tilmitt._ The Seven. The hunted.

A/N: Apologies for the unacceptably long delay. Shoot me.


	7. Never Get Off The Boat

Rinoa stared out at the ocean as the craft travelled the final leg of the journey to Fisherman's Horizon. No-one spoke a word, and the interior of the ship was deathly silent. 

She couldn't take it anymore. She stood quickly and walked out, aware of everyone else's face on hers, but avoiding eye contact. A suddenly breeze swept over them, and they shivered. 

Squall didn't wait. He stood and walked out after her, and closed the hatch after him. He found her standing looking out at the water in the front of the boat 

"Rinoa, are you OK?" he asked as he reached out a hand to rest on her shoulder. 

She shrugged it off quickly and turned slightly, and Squall could see she had been crying. She quickly brushed the tears away. "What do you think?" she demanded angrily. "Cid's… he's…" he sniffed and then wrapped her arms around him fiercely and wept into his jacket. 

Hew wrapped his arms around in reply and placed a hand gently on top of her head, soothing her. "I know, I'm loved him too," he said, and then frowned slightly as he realised he hadn't been lying. Cid wouldn't be there any longer to give him advice about how to get rid of paperwork, or those small talks on morality he always gave when one of the gang was having trouble with something. "I'll miss him too," he said. 

Rinoa pulled away and looked at him. "What are we going to do?" she asked. 

Squall looked out into the distance. "We're going to find whoever did this, and they're going to answer for their crimes," he said calmly. 

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"They gotta pay man," Zell said, glaring into the middle-distance.

Seifer turned to look at him. "Hmm?"

Zell looked at him, fire burning in his eyes. "They gonna pay for killing Cid," he said again.

Quistis glanced up at him. "We don't even know who did it," she said. Ever the practical one.

Zell glared at her. "So you're saying we should do nothing? " he demanded.

Quistis shook her head, and her eyes hardened. "No. I'm saying we need to figure out who these 'they' are before we can make them pay."

Zell stood and started shadow-boxing, to Seifer's annoyance. "Ain't gonna help, chicken-wuss," he said, and a second late cursed.

"_What did you call me?"_ Zell shouted, rounding on him.

"Guys, chill," Irvine said calmly.

Zell turned. "The hell with you! Cid's gone and they're gonna think we did it, you telling me to be calm!"

"Zell?" Quistis asked tiredly.

"What?"

"Sit down and shut up."

For want of a miracle, he did. Quistis looked at them all in turn. "We have to figure out what to do, so shouting at each other isn't going to help." She looked at Zell pointedly, and he shivered slightly as ice-cold eyes scrutinised him. "We're all pissed, but turning on each other _won't help_."

Zell sat back on the small bench/seat and stared at the wall.

"What are we going to do?"

The question, surprisingly enough, had come from Selphie. Seifer steeled himself, and gave his ordered answer. "I think we should turn ourselves in," he said.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"Seifer?"

"No way man!"

Seifer sighed inwardly. "They'll know it couldn't have been us. We should go see Dobe and tell him what happened, he'll understand," he said.

"We're not going to do that."

All of them looked around as Squall and Rinoa came back into the cabin and looked around at them all. The SeeD Commander spoke again. "If we do that whoever did this could be gone. We owe it to Cid and all those people to find out who did this, no matter who tries to capture us," he said. "We head for FH and stock up, and then we go back to Winhill when the authorities have cleared out."

Selphie shuddered. "Why do we have to?" she asked, knowing full well why.

"Because whoever did this has to have left _something_ behind_._"

Seifer didn't look up at them. _You won't get that far._

"Where do we go in the meantime?" Quistis asked.

"Watts and Zone," Rinoa piped in. "The Owls'll still help us, they'll know we didn't do it."

Quistis nodded and sat back, satisfied. She looked towards the front of the cabin at the screen, and suddenly stood.

"We're here." She walked out of the cabin, and stopped. "…And we're not alone."

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Squall was the first out after Quistis, Rinoa still hanging onto his hand.

Xu stood on the dock of FH, with a line of SeeDs to either side. However, instead of looking pleased to see them, she was staring at them from the centre of a line of rifles, all of them pointed at the three on deck.

"What's up Xu?" he said calmly, as if discussing the weather.

"Squall," Xu acknowledged. Her face showed neither anger nor relief, just… nothing. "You're under arrest," se said next.

"What for?" he shot back.

"You know damn well what for. Are you gonna come with us quietly?" she asked.

"We didn't do those terrible things!" Rinoa shouted.

"Guys, don't make us-"

"You're not going to shoot us Xu, it's _us,_" Quistis said.

Xu shook her head. "I have to carry out my orders," she said.

"You take orders from Squall."

"Not any more. You've been officially thrown out, as of one hour ago, all SeeDs report to Martine now, as the last Garden Commander."

Squall was taken aback. _Martine?_ He opened his mouth to complain and took a step forwards to do so, but stopped when the rifles all swivelled to point at him.

"_No!_" Rinoa shouted, and half the guns turned to her.

"Come _on_ Squall, don't do this!" Xu shouted.

"Wasn't us, we didn't do it, and we're going to prove it."

For the first time, a smile graced Xu's lips. "How? With seven SeeDs and a single assault boat? Please."

Squall shook his head and gripped Rinoa's hand, whispering to her. "_Get back down, please, _yes, we are. You're not doing this to innocents," he said.

Rinoa turned and walked down back into the boat. Xu's eyes flashed but she let her go. Quistis looked at her in puzzlement, then nodded at Squall and walked back down. She moved forwards and asked Selphie to power up the boat.

"Then I'm sorry, we'll have to shoot- _HEY!"_

Water splashed around them as the engine of the craft roared to life again, and Squall turned and ducked, throwing his arm n an arc, and a small cylinder flew towards the group of SeeDs and Xu. She looked shocked and ducked away as the canister exploded, tear gas covering the area.

"_GET HIM!"_ she shouted at the soldiers, but they were all coughing, and Squall jumped down into the boat with being shot at, closing and locking the hatch behind him.

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"Time to go," Squall said, as he slammed the hatch shut and spun the wheel to lock it.

"Gotcha!" Selphie shouted, and started hitting buttons. Seconds later they heard muffled gunfire ricocheting from the hull of the boat, and Xu's voice screaming at them to stop.

"At least she doesn't want us dead," Irvine muttered.

"Probably just doesn't want to hit her own guys," Seifer replied, exactly right.

The boat lurched, and then the sounds of gunfire faded as it raved off away from Fisherman's Horizon. Squall alone waited until the sounds of weaponry on the hell f the craft faded before breathing a small sigh of relief and falling back down onto the bench.

"Great, so now we're fugitives, now what?" Zell asked.

"Zell, we went over it," Squall breathed, a definitely edge to his voice.

"…Sorry."

"That's alright. We try and think of what we need. We can't go back to Balamb, or Galbadia as Martine is there, or FH, not after that little display."

"Esthar," Rinoa said instantly.

Squall scowled. "Too risky."

Rinoa shook her head. "Laguna will help us! He'll know we didn't do it!"

Squall stared into her wide and pleading eyes, and lost. "Esthar then, _after_ we know it's same, and we have something from Winhill. We wait with the Owls until it's safe, then we move."

Everyone murmured their assent, except for Seifer, who just nodded, and stared into nothing. _Now that I know where they're going, how am I going to le Xu know?_

"Seifer, you OK?"

Seifer looked up and stared into Quistis' eyes. "Fine," he said.

"You seem kind of zoned out," she commented.

Seifer chuckled darkly. "I have good reason to be." _If only you knew, you'd throw me off this damned boat instantly. Later I may ask you too. _He sighed. "Never thought this kind of thing would happen," he said.

"Me neither." She rubbed her eyes, and he realised how tired she looked. "We saved the world and now we're running from it." Her eyes went wide as she realised what she had said. "Oh, Hyne Seifer I'm sorry, I forgot-"

Seifer waved a hand at her. "It's OK, I deserved it."

Quistis shook her head and stared intently at him. "Not any more. You changed, we all know it. We're in this together now."

Again, Seifer's conscience hit him with a stick. _Ah Trepe, if only you knew. If they catch you they'll kill you all, and probably I'll watch, and stare at you as they gas you all or shoot you or whatever, and your eyes will haunt me until I die. _"Yeah, we are, aren't we?" he said quietly.

Quistis smiled slightly. "I could think of worse people to be hunted criminals with," she said.

Irvine snorted, and tipped his hat over his eyes. The gesture wasn't lost on the others, but he said it anyway. "I'd rather not be hunted at all, or be alone with-"

"If you finish that sentence I will have to hurt you!" Selphie shouted from the cockpit.

Irvine tipped his hat at her. "You know you'd think the same!" he shouted back in return,

Rinoa snuggled up farther against Squall and yawned. "Time is it?" she asked sleepily.

"Past your bedtime," Zell muttered, still staring moodily at everyone and thing.

Rinoa stuck out her tongue at him, and Squall smiled slightly as she tried to fall asleep against him. He gently stroked her hair, and she smiled slightly, looking for the entire world like she had just come back from a mission, and not a suddenly declared wanted fugitive.

Quistis smiled at the couple and leaned back against her corner of the bulkhead, using her arm as a pillow, and the others tried to do the same.

Seifer stared at them all in turn, and then did the same, knowing that he would get no sleep tonight. Or any night.


End file.
